Pharoah's Table

       This is why I like hiking and backpacking. Sometimes you run across beautiful scenes unexpectedly. After hiking over Healy Pass in Banff National Park we set up camp at Egypt Lake. The next morning we set out on a day hike that included Talc Lake, Mummy Lake,Scarab Lake and back down to Egypt Lake. While at Scarab Lake we headed down the outlet stream and found the scene pictured below. What you don't see however, is that just a few feet behind me, the creek plunges over a much larger waterfall and drops into Egypt Lake some 100 meters below. This shot was a challenge as it was raining and I had no tripod.
      One may wonder, as I did, why this area of the Canadian Rockies has an Egyptian theme. According to one guidebook, it started in early 20's. The outline of Scarab Lake supposedly looked like a beetle from above and was given the name. Why stop there? Now in an Egyptian frame of mind, the surveyors named other lakes in the area, such as: Egypt, Mummy, and Pharoah.
     This area is full of lakes and passes, many options for day hikes. This is a trip I would do again someday. Click on image for better view.